


In The End

by Zorthain



Series: Single Pringles [15]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Canon-Typical Violence, Feels, I Love You, I'm Going to Hell, I'm Sorry, M/M, Self-Sacrifice, This Was Great Thank You All, Titans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-03-18 05:15:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3557393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zorthain/pseuds/Zorthain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the beginning to the end. All of it.</p><p>You will be missed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In The End

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JunsuChinCritic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JunsuChinCritic/gifts), [blue_eyes_white_koala](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blue_eyes_white_koala/gifts), [jigsawpuzzle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jigsawpuzzle/gifts), [Danhei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danhei/gifts), [wowokthenbruh](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wowokthenbruh/gifts), [anaesthesia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anaesthesia/gifts), [HeySammy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeySammy/gifts), [Elivale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elivale/gifts), [PinkJasMink](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkJasMink/gifts), [SchrodingersAlpaca](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SchrodingersAlpaca/gifts), [ras_elased (porthos)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=ras_elased+%28porthos%29), [vegax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vegax/gifts), [KiwiNiki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KiwiNiki/gifts), [Marshmallow695](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marshmallow695/gifts), [pikkonoloidlee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikkonoloidlee/gifts), [shooqy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shooqy/gifts), [RedFez](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedFez/gifts), [Ang3lic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ang3lic/gifts), [ShadowMelly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowMelly/gifts), [BlueGin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueGin/gifts), [Aileine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aileine/gifts), [Calsual](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calsual/gifts), [StarksIndustries](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarksIndustries/gifts), [LadyRavenheart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyRavenheart/gifts), [typeriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/typeriter/gifts), [arctics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arctics/gifts), [EreriForever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EreriForever/gifts), [sardonicgrin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sardonicgrin/gifts), [smithackerman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smithackerman/gifts), [transoliver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/transoliver/gifts), [afroprincessofprocrastination](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afroprincessofprocrastination/gifts), [KuroAddict](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuroAddict/gifts), [VividVivi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VividVivi/gifts), [TickTock4604](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TickTock4604/gifts), [Mang_o](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mang_o/gifts), [nightcrawler0000](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightcrawler0000/gifts), [bluemoonmist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemoonmist/gifts), [TwistedK](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwistedK/gifts), [selva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/selva/gifts), [Kumikoko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kumikoko/gifts), [Kita03](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kita03/gifts), [Hidden_Daydreamers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hidden_Daydreamers/gifts), [Goober](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goober/gifts).



> The last work of the Single Pringles. Thank you, to everyone who followed this with a username, this is your gift, and to those that don't once/if you get one, leave it in the comments below, I'll add you on. To all of you, you made me wake up in the mornings and rush to the Archive just to see your lovely comments and thoughts, and I'm going to miss that. Once summer rolls around, I'll be like ten billion times more active again, but from here to June about, I've got to crack down on the books, so I might not be able to write so much. Thank you for everything again.
> 
> Love you all,  
> ~Zor

"Commander." He was greeted the same way by everyone as he stalked by, straightening his gear and marching to the wagon waiting for him and the other selected elites. He commanded more than their legion, but also their respect. He was powerful, dominant.

But yet there was still one bug in the Underground he couldn't quite squish.

The white shirt disappeared into a building window and began sprinting away, taking no time to switch between flying and running. He turned a corner, and the darkness swallowed him whole, though it was still nothing Erwin couldn't compete with. He chased after him even more furiously than before, turning and imitating his racing figure as it darted back and forth, back and forth, before jumping out and switching back to the gear.

When he reached the window and jumped after him, Mike was already bearing down on the troublemaker, his swords crossed and offering no refuge. Erwin came in from after him, from up above to force him down to the ground.

The face it front of him drew his own blade, a tiny dagger to hold back the two giant swords he wielded. Impressive, but still not enough. Impenetrable blue met narrowed gunmetal as their blades clashed against each other, the younger stabbing out at him suddenly, aiming for the heart. Erwin matched him again, only barely. 

"It's no use," he said in his most convincing tone possible. "Your friends are already caught. Just look behind you."

The surly character barely glanced over his shoulder at the two figures behind him, one a calm, tall boy, the other a surprisingly young redheadgirl who kicked aggressively.

He seemed to reflect carefully for a second, then dropped the blade slowly, putting his hands in the air.

 _Finally_.

* * *

Erwin was at the end of his rope. He'd interrogated them.

No response. 

Tried to bribe them.

Nothing.

Only when he'd threatened to kill his friends had Levi Ackerman obeyed and submitted to the Scouting Legion. He had no traceable background, besides the underground sewers, and for all he knew, that name itself was an alias. Though he doubted it. Everyone in the Underground knew Levi Ackerman. It was actually somewhat frustrating, how disregarded his own authority was when he'd demanded answers from its inhabitants.

Still, the papers that he'd managed to get signed were for one Levi Ackerman, one Furlan Church, and one Isabel Magnolia, might now be invalid, or in other words, a massive waste of money. Erwin rubbed at his temples and tried to quell the growing headache.

And besides all that, with his high skill and dry humour, Hanji and Mike had already taken a liking to him, but Erwin was still wary. The knowledge his father had drilled into his head stayed; _even a dead wolf still bites_. No matter what happened from now on, Erwin couldn't throw the kid back in the sewers, for both political and personal issues.

He banged the coffee cup down on the desk and stares at the paperwork rather uselessly, when there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," he said, picking up a pen and pretending to scribble away at the papers in front of him as he brushed the certificates under them.

The grey aura that followed had him knowing who it was before he even looked up. "Good morning Levi. What can I help you with?" he asked, leaning forward on his arms.

* * *

"I couldn't save them because I was weak, but it's _your_ fault they were out here to begin with!" he screamed, letting go of Furlan's corpse. "You should have left us where our life was working! You _bastard_!" He lunged to cut him in two, but the sword was blocked.

"You aren't weak," Erwin said calmly. "Ask yourself and you'll know it wasn't true. The reason they're dead is because of the titans! _They're_ the real enemy!" 

" _It's your fault_!"

"It's the fault of the unfair, terrible world we live in!" Erwin shouted to match his voice. "Do you think I wanted them dead either?" he asked, and a glimmer of recognition washed over Levi's face as the words registered. "They're dead because of the titans! They're dead because humanity has so little hope left, we recruit children!"

Levi lowered his sword.

"Don't you see?" Erwin asked.

"I..I understand Commander Smith," he whispered, using his real title for the first time. "I'm sorry for acting out. It won't happen again."

Though he could have sworn he saw hatred still mixed in with the awe.

* * *

The notebook had been a pleasant surprise.

"Commander," he said stiffly.

"Sit down Levi. Let me pour you some tea. And stop being so formal," he chided gently.

"Sir."

Erwin leaned in over the desk in his usual pose. "What is it?"

"Squad leader Hanji has been analyzing the notebook, to certain pleasing results, and demands test subjects."

"You can tell her my budget is tighter than your asshole," he said slyly, catching him off-guard for a moment as surprise flashed across the surface, before sinking back into his regular poker face.

"That would seem highly unprofessional Commander," Levi said quietly. 

"Since when have I been anything besides strictly professional Levi?" he asked, whispering, pulling him over the desk into an easy kiss. 

Levi scowled, clearly annoyed, and pulled back. "Cut it out, you brat. I'm trying to be a little _less_ unprofessional if you haven't noticed, and you're making it too hard for me to want to bother."

"So don't," he grinned, letting his collar go to walk around an to the door, closing it. "I can make much more than "being serious" hard, you know," he joked, advancing slowly.

" _Tch_ ," he muttered, Erwin tackling him on to the couch before he began unbuttoning his shirt. "I don't have time now Shitwin," he said, pushing him away. "She's going to be wondering what's taking so long if you keep this up." He sat up and straightened his appearance.

"Fine," he groaned. "Just come back later then." He ruffled his hair, and Levi shook it back, flashing him an irritated glare while he re-parted it messily with his hands. "And tell her I'll see what I can do."

* * *

 The two titans were tied down firmly, hands and feet bolted to the floor. Their necks were secured with ropes, and they couldn't so much as look sideways. Hanji was jumping with excitement, and Levi patted him on the back. "Good job Shitwin, you did something right. And no casualties either," he smiled. Erwin couldn't help but smile back, after all it wasn't just because Hanji was happy that he was pleased; this was still a major advancement for humanity.

"Hey, Moblit," Levi snapped.

"Yessir?" Moblit squeaked back, not making eye contact, instead staring straight ahead petrified.

"You see her?" Levi asked, pointing at Hanji with his sword while she mumbled about how many teeth the captives had. "If she gets so much as a scratch on her by the end of this, I'll assume it's your fault, and this sword will be shoved so far up your ass, you'll be sneezing razor blades. Got it?"

"But sir-!" he said, paling even more. 

"Personally. Accountable." He repeated, tapping the swords again.

Hanji leaned in closer to get a better angle. "That's it, just open your mouth a little wider..."

"Squad leader!" he said, running over and pulling her back in the nick of time.

Erwin chuckled a little under his breath. "I've got to hand it to you Levi, you know how to keep people you care about alive." A shadow crossed his face, and Erwin immediately regretted his choice of words. "I mean-"

"It's fine," he said, not moving. "That's long over."

* * *

 As far as Erwin knew, nobody besides them were even aware. Not that they'd be public about it even if it was common knowledge, but the engagement rings looked so pretty he almost wished they could.

"Hey, brat," Levi said, nuzzling his chest under the covers. "Stop looking at it for one bloody minute and enjoy your fucking time with me. For all we know, a giant titan could appear and eat us in the next thirty seconds."

"Sorry," he smiled, tucking the hand with the silver band on it begin Levi and cuddling him. "I keep forgetting I've got the real deal here." 

They snuggled silently until Erwin thought about what he'd said again.

"Are you nervous or something?" Levi asked, sitting up. He flinched as the bandaged ankle brushed against the mattress in the wrong way.

"Yeah. Just nervous about the expedition tomorrow," he admitted. "I've just got a bad feeling."

"Don't be. There've been a thousand before it, and there'll be more after. And besides that, it's still inside Wall Maria, so we know the turf better."

At that moment, a series of heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. There was no time to react before the door flew open.

"Commander-" Mike gasped, before noticing the situation he was in. He stared blankly from Levi to Erwin, then hiccoughed mildly. "This isn't the best time, is it?"

Erwin sighed loudly and Levi just held his head in his hands. "No, it's not, but you're here, so out with it."

"Yes sir," he said, shielding his eyes out of respect. "Wall Rose has been breached, our scouts have seen titans roaming the plains."

" _What_?!" Erwin said, sitting up. "Alright, Levi, stay here. I'm going with Mike."

"What do you think I am, a sock puppet? I'm coming too," he growled.

"No, you're hurt, and-"

"If anything, you should stay. The Scouts need a politician right now, not a potential mass murderer."

"Both would be nice," he grumbled, and Levi patted his arm, then kissed him as though Mike wasn't even there.

"I'll be fine Shitwin."

"Ok," Erwin muttered and kissed him back, though he didn't like the twisting in his gut.

Levi got up and put his clothes on quickly, Mike half closing the door for the sake of privacy. He stood and walked out far too soon though, limping a little to the left.

* * *

Having your arm bitten off was the strangest sensation he'd ever had the misfortune to experience. 

Levi wiped at his forehead again, the cold numbness returning to his body as he lay still and silent, sweating through the fever. He'd been in and out of consciousness for the past few hours.

Suddenly, he looked up, eyes wide open. "Levi, I lost it." His voice sounded like granite cracking it was so dry. "I lost the ring," he groaned, lifting the stump uselessly.

He only looked at him in disbelief and shook his head. "No you didn't Erwin," he said. "It's right here." He slipped the identical silver piece off his own finger and put it on Erwin's left hand. A little big, but it fit somewhat. "Now go back to sleep."

Like a child, his face relaxed as he hugged it right to his body. "Oh, you're right. I haven't lost it after all."

"You could lose a million rings and I'd still marry you, brat."

* * *

_And this is the end of it all, isn't it._

The world went dark as Erwin felt the mouth snap closed around him, and he sliced what remained of his blade into the tongue to try and avoid slipping down the throat of the titan. He knew it was coming, really it had been beyond moronic to try and come out of the walls and fight with only one arm. He couldn't even complete his own cuts, and he felt hot tears of self-pity run down his face, or maybe that was just titan spit.

_Why.._

He felt an uncontrollable rage build in his chest as though he was going to burst, and he would have stabbed out at the mouth if he hadn't been more concerned about staying alive.

_Why do you eat us?_

It was fine. It was going to be fine. This is how everyone who joined the Survey Corps ended up eventually anyways, right? A Survey corpse. Nobody got to be fat and lazy like the MP or the Garrison, or grow old like the people living in the interior. Nobody got to see their own children grow up and hug their grandchildren as they burst through the door. Though, with his current relationship, children wouldn't be the easiest to have, he thought, and despite his situation, let out a hollow laugh.

"What did we do to deserve this?" he asked the titan. The anger swelled with his voice. It couldn't understand him, so what. All it understood was killing. " _What did humanity do to deserve being punished like this?!"_ he screamed. The image of Hanji and Mike being tossed into their mouthes still haunted his vision, while Levi sat helplessly from the back of his horse, unable to contribute because he still couldn't maneuver properly with one foot injured. 

The titan rumbled, as though it was moving again, and he felt it start bumping up and down as he clung on to the hilt of his sword. Someone was probably fighting it now, or, more likely, it was chasing the retreating Legion in the hopes of a final tasty bite.

He closed his eyes, imagining the people he knew and how ashamed of him they would be, biting the band of metal on his hand out of habit. 

 _"_ Look, the Commander's been eaten!"his subordinates would have said. "How stupid of him to even try anymore. How could he have expected differently? _"_

He heard Nile's voice upon receiving the information; "That's a pity. Now tell me about this new Commander," he would say, twirling the pen in his hands. "Will he be submissive to the King's orders, or will he be like that failure?"

_Stop.._

"Commander Erwin is dead?" Mike would have said. "Does this grant me a promotion?"

 _They would have never said that. Stop being so imaginative Erwin. Snap out of it!_ he thought.  _You had plenty of people who cared about you,_ he thought, though at the moment his brain couldn't come up with one. Even the general population thought the Scouts were a waste of tax payments.

And then a final voice came into his head, glittering like ice. 

"Erwin, I can't do this any more."

 _No._ His eyes widened in fear at the very thought, so much scarier than the situation he was actually in.

"I'm leaving you." Levi's voice was cool and emotionless. "You're weak. useless. You only ever lead people to their graves. You can't even keep yourself alive without the others you sacrifice. I'm sorry it had to come to this."

_No!_

"Good riddance," the imaginary Levi said, turning away from him. 

And in that moment, calm, collected, Erwin Smith, ex-Commander of the Survey Corps, snapped.

He spat out the stupid ring, it tasted like corroded iron in his mouth anyways, and kicked out against the back of the throat of the titan. He used his one arm to pull himself closer to the opening and pushed against the roof of its mouth to steady himself, then cut outwards at the gums, screaming to be let out. His surge of strength was wasted though when his foot slipped and he began to tumble down the pit to the stomachlike organ, and for a fraction of a second, he saw the light of day as a figure crawled in after him.

He almost accepted his death.

Almost.

And then, a strong pair of arms grabbed him, throwing him around and out of the jaws he'd been caged in.

The split second before the teeth snapped shut on their new prey, he saw a faint smile and two gunmetal eyes piercing through him. 

_Your friends have all been caught, Erwin._

As Levi disappeared, the final broken part of his life, so did Erwin's heart.


End file.
